Glendale Does Rugby

Rugbytown USA at Glendale’s Infinity Park hosts a wide array of matches and international teams. On August 14-16 2015 the 4th Annual Serevi RugbyTown Sevens Tournament tournament featured 17 teams from around the world and even the 95+ degree day didn’t discourage an excited crowd from enjoying this fast-paced game.

During the sevens tournament, I had the pleasure of interviewing Glendale Raptors head coach Andre Snyman, a ten-year veteran of the sport who “hung up the goods” in 2007. Although still learning the ins and out of the game, I am a huge fan of the sport.

Rugby sevens addresses some of the traditional American criticisms of soccer: for instance that games are long with minimal scoring. The pitch (field) remains the same size even though each team has only 7 versus soccer’s 15 players. There is a lot more room for error as well as room for attack. You see a lot more more tries (goals) scored because of the space and constant action. With 15 players, scoring is less frequent in soccer.

Rugby sevens contrasts with other field sports by being quick: seven minutes hard play, a one-minute break, seven minutes hard play and the match is over. Total time: 15 minutes. “It’s the perfect sport for American television,” states Snyman. But the sport still struggles for air time in the US.

Invented in England by 16-year-old student William Webb Ellis in 1823, rugby isn’t a new sport. According to Rugby USA, headquartered in Boulder, the sport is actually one of the fastest-growing team sports in America.The sport demands a unique combination of strength training and cardiovascular fitness. A match is 80 minutes in fifteens and 15 minutes in sevens. “You need to be able to run at 100 miles a hour, at 100%, up, down, tackle, fall down, get up, run again. Look for strong, fast players with endurance,” shares Snyman.

Rugby is penetrating the school system and kids are starting to get involved. In fact, Glendale Raptors runs free “Rookie Rugby” classes for schools. These PE classes offer exposure to no-contact rugby “through games and drills that will keep them moving, laughing and engaged for the whole period.” But the sport suffers from a bit of an identity crisis with parents expressing safety concerns not borne out by the stats showing football and soccer as leading to more injuries.

“Rugby is not just a ‘thug’ sport, it’s a beautiful sport that teaches you how to lose, teaches you how to win and it teaches you how to back each other up when things get tough,” counters Snyman.

Misperceptions may change when rugby sevens is added to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after the sport’s absence since 1924. According to Snyman, “Hope is, the Olympics will help, offering the foot in the door we need,” meaning access to television coverage and an even faster growth trajectory.

Infinity Park has an Olympic Development Academy with Coach Snyman and Director of Rugby Mark Bullock leading the program. With the addition of rugby sevens to the Olympic Games, it’s important to start grooming future players. “We run the high school academy from across the country and Denver to develop players because they are our future rugby players and Olympians.” Snyman intends the academy to build on fundamentals. “In 4 years’ time he’s 22 and at the prime of rugby playing, building on and fine-tuning his skills.”

Come check it out. Ticket prices are so affordable, at only $6 per adult with kids 12 and under free. Glendale Raptors offer a great program called Rugby 101 for novice spectators. These ambassadors for the game are often players on reserve. They explain the rules of the game with a “no stupid questions” mentality. Once you understand what’s going on, it’s a lot more fun to watch.

And don’t miss the 2014 Glendale Raptors Women’s Premier League champions when their tournament starts on September 12 with a match against San Diego Surfers. In rugby, unlike most sports, all players regardless of gender play by the same rules. Cheer on this local team as they start the long journey of defending their title. The team hasn’t lost a match in more than 10 months.

For rugby match schedules, tickets, and general information go to the Rugbytown USA website; visit